A soap opera , daytime drama , or soap for short, is typically a long-running radio or television serial , frequently characterized by melodrama , ensemble casts , and sentimentality . The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers. The term was preceded by " horse opera ", a derogatory term for low-budget Westerns.
187-461: All My Children (often shortened to AMC ) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu , Hulu Plus , and iTunes . Created by Agnes Nixon , All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictional suburb of Philadelphia , which is modeled on
374-484: A tough love policy that requires Mark's admission of his addiction. Controversy was prompted in 1987 with the arrival of Cindy Parker ( Ellen Wheeler ), who later fell in love with Stuart. Cindy was revealed to have AIDS . Through visits by now-Dr. Angie Hubbard, the show educated the public on how the disease was spread and how to prevent it. Cindy had contracted HIV from her husband, Fred, played by Mark Morrison, who contracted it from sharing needles for drug use. Cindy
561-510: A voodoo arc with the popular Noah and Julia ( Keith Hamilton Cobb and Sydney Penny ), a fantasy story for Myrtle featuring the "real" Santa Claus , and finally a baby kidnapping story involving Erica. Despite winning three consecutive Daytime Emmys for writing during her tenure on All My Children , Broderick was replaced in December 1997 by her predecessor, McTavish. The first major story McTavish tackled, Bianca Montgomery 's anorexia ,
748-611: A 40-year-plus run, were cancelled in 2011. All My Children aired its network finale in September 2011, with One Life to Live following suit in January 2012. Both All My Children and One Life to Live were briefly revived online in 2013, before being cancelled again that same year. In 2019, production of Days of Our Lives was put on "indefinite hiatus" and all of the cast's contracts were terminated, raising concerns within soap publications that cancellation would ensue, though
935-652: A 72-year run (including radio). As the World Turns aired its final episode on September 17, 2010, after a 54-year run. As the World Turns was the last of 20 soap operas produced by Procter & Gamble, the soap and consumer goods company from which the genre got its name. As the World Turns and Guiding Light were also among the last of the soaps that originated from New York City. All My Children , another New York–based soap, moved its production out to Los Angeles in an effort to reduce costs and raise sagging ratings; however, both it and One Life to Live , each with
1122-480: A Deal (1963–1968 and 1990–1991, as well as a short-lived prime-time revival in 2003), Jeopardy! (1964–1975 and 1978–1979), The Hollywood Squares (1966–1980), Wheel of Fortune (1975–1989 and 1991), Password Plus/Super Password (1979–1982 and 1984–1989), Sale of the Century (1969–1973 and 1983–1989) and Scrabble (1984–1990 and 1993). The last game show ever to air as part of NBC's daytime schedule
1309-833: A Saturday edition of Today . Most of the series featured on the TNBC lineup were executive produced by Peter Engel (such as City Guys , Hang Time , California Dreams , One World and the Saved by the Bell sequel, Saved by the Bell: The New Class ), with the lineup being designed from the start to meet the earliest form of the FCC's educational programming guidelines under the Children's Television Act . NBA Inside Stuff , an analysis and interview program aimed at teens that
1496-605: A co-branded version of InfoSpace to deliver minimal portal content. In mid-2007, NBCi.com began to mirror the main NBC.com website; NBCi.com was eventually redirected to the NBC.com domain in 2010. Only one legacy of this direction remains in the website of then-O&O WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio (now owned by Nexstar ), which continues to use the URL "nbc4i.com". NBC has used a number of logos throughout its history; early logos used by
1683-479: A company specializing in search engines that learned from searches initiated by its users, for $ 32 million. The experiment lasted roughly one season; after its failure, NBCi's operations were folded back into NBC. The NBC Television portion of the website reverted to NBC.com. However, the NBCi website continued in operation as a portal for NBC-branded content (NBCi.com would be redirected to NBCi.msnbc.com), using
1870-400: A dead body, but hey, even if you do, he or she can always come back to play the evil identical twin. Marlena Laird in 1992, during her time as a line producer and director for General Hospital . Romance , secret relationships, extramarital affairs, and genuine hate have been the basis for many soap opera storylines. In US daytime serials, the most popular soap opera characters, and
2057-636: A digital subchannel or because a primary feed NBC affiliate has not yet upgraded their transmission equipment to allow content to be presented in HD. NBC's master feed has not fully converted to 1080p or 2160p ultra-high-definition television (UHD). However, some NBC stations have already begun broadcasting at 1080p via ATSC 3.0 multiplex stations. One notable example is WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina (a station that re-joined NBC in February 2016), which
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#17327656837772244-486: A few smaller markets, such as Binghamton, New York ( WBGH-CD ), Jackson, Tennessee ( WNBJ-LD ) and Juneau, Alaska ( KATH-LD ), that do not have enough full-power stations to support a standalone affiliate. In some markets, these stations also maintain digital simulcasts on a subchannel of a co-owned/co-managed full-power television station. Southern New Hampshire receives NBC programming via network-owned WBTS-CD , licensed to serve Nashua ; while nominally licensed as
2431-463: A fixture of American daytime television in the early 1950s, joined by game shows , sitcom reruns and talk shows. In 1988, H. Wesley Kenney , who at the time served as the executive producer of General Hospital , said to The New York Times : I think people like stories that continue so they can relate to these people. They become like a family, and the viewer becomes emotionally involved. There seem to be two attitudes by viewers. One, that
2618-586: A full hour on April 25, 1977. The show had experimented with the full-hour format for one week starting on June 30, 1975, after which Ryan's Hope premiered. From 1970 to 1990, All My Children was recorded at ABC's TV18 at 101 West 67th Street, now a 50-story apartment tower. From March 1990 to December 2009, it was taped at ABC's Studio TV23 at 320 West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City , New York . In December 2009, taping moved from Manhattan to less costly Los Angeles, California , at Stages 1 and 2 of
2805-511: A funeral. Once Tylo reprised her character in 2005, a retcon explained that Taylor had actually gone into a coma. Stunts and complex physical action are largely absent, especially from daytime serials. Such story events often take place off-screen and are referred to in dialogue instead of being shown. This is because stunts or action scenes are difficult to adequately depict without complex movements, multiple takes, and post-production editing. When episodes were broadcast live, post-production work
2992-593: A heavily advertised online venture serving as an attempt to launch a web portal . This move saw NBC partner with Xoom.com (not to be confused with the current money transfer service ), e-mail.com, AllBusiness.com , and Snap.com (eventually acquiring all four companies outright; not to be confused with the current-day parent of Snapchat ) to launch a multi-faceted internet portal with e-mail, web hosting, community, chat and personalization capabilities, and news content. Subsequently, in April 2000, NBC purchased GlobalBrain,
3179-537: A low-power class A station, it transmits a full-power signal under a channel share with the WGBH Educational Foundation and its secondary Boston station WGBX-TV from Needham, Massachusetts , and serves as the NBC station for the entire Boston market. Until 2019, NBC operated a low-powered station in Boston, WBTS-LD (now WYCN-LD ), which aimed to serve as its station in that market while using
3366-432: A married couple whose onscreen and real-life romance was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press at large. The first program generally considered to be a "soap opera" or daytime serial by scholars of the genre is Painted Dreams , which premiered on WGN radio Chicago, on October 20, 1930. It was regularly broadcast in a daytime time slot, where most listeners would be housewives; thus,
3553-497: A motion picture. When her presumed half-sister Silver (Deborah Goodrich) accuses Erica of murdering Kent Bogard (Michael Woods, Lee Godart), her former lover and boss, Erica goes on the run, fleeing to the Hollywood Hills . She does all this while posing as a sister . The show made its first attempt at tackling the taboo topic of homosexuality in 1983. Tricia Pursley portrayed the divorced Devon McFadden, who believes she
3740-528: A national reach of 88.91% of all households in the United States (or 277,821,345 Americans with at least one television set). Since January 24, 2022, when CBS affiliate WBKB-TV in Alpena, Michigan affiliated its DT2 subchannel with NBC, NBC is, to date, the only major network with an in-market affiliate in every designated market area in the United States. Currently, New Jersey and Delaware are
3927-469: A network of additional full-power stations to cover the market in full (including Merrimack, New Hampshire -licensed Telemundo station WNEU , which transmitted WBTS on a second subchannel); NBC purchased the Nashua station (formerly WYCN-CD) in early 2018 after the FCC spectrum auction , and in 2019 relocated WYCN-LD to Providence, Rhode Island to serve as a Telemundo station for that market. Tegna Media
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#17327656837774114-523: A new Saturday morning block programmed by Litton Entertainment under the Children's Television Act. It's called The More You Know , inspired by the name of brand extension of The More You Know —a series of public service campaigns first launched by NBC in 1989. The block premiered on October 8, 2016, replacing NBC Kids block (originally October 1, 2016, but postponed due to the NBC network coverage of
4301-520: A now-grown-up Tad Martin ( Michael E. Knight ), who was now legally Ruth and Joe's son, enter the scene. The storyline involving Liza plotting to win Greg back after he leaves her for Jenny became a fan favorite, as was the Greg and Jenny and Jesse and Angie pairings. Jesse and Jenny's summer in New York City became regarded as one of the greatest storylines in the history of the series. Meanwhile,
4488-583: A number of soap actors were also accomplished stage actors who performed live theater during breaks from their soap roles. In the 1960s and 1970s, new serials such as General Hospital , Days of our Lives , and The Young and the Restless were produced in Los Angeles . Their success made the West Coast a viable alternative to New York-produced soap operas, which were becoming more costly to perform. By
4675-948: A painful, strained, and complicated relationship during this time in the series. Gellar was proclaimed by some "as the second coming of Erica" in her two years as Kendall Hart from 1993 to 1995, but left the show to pursue other acting opportunities. The Santos, Dillon, Frye, and Keefer families were introduced during the 1990s as well. Also, the Tad and Dixie pairing had become especially popular. Other prominent couples were Dimitri and Erica ( Michael Nader ), Trevor ( James Kiberd ) and Natalie ( Kate Collins ), Hayley ( Kelly Ripa ) and Brian (Gregory Gordon, Matt Borlenghi , Brian L. Greene), and Brooke English and Edmund Grey ( Julia Barr , John Callahan ). Some of McTavish's storytelling ultimately received criticism for being gimmick-driven (i.e. multiple dual roles, bomb plots). Reports soon surfaced that Behr and McTavish were having conflicts about storylines and
4862-425: A particular place, or focus on a large extended family. The storylines follow the day-to-day activities and personal relationships of these characters. "Soap narratives, like those of film melodramas, are marked by what Steve Neale has described as 'chance happenings, coincidences, missed meetings, sudden conversions, last-minute rescues and revelations, deus ex machina endings.'" These elements may be found across
5049-427: A poem to include in the photo album shown in the series' title credits: "The great and the least, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, in sickness and in health, in joy and sorrow, in tragedy and triumph, you are all my children." All My Children debuted on January 5, 1970, replacing the canceled game show Dream House . Rosemary Prinz was signed on to be the "special guest star" for six months, playing
5236-478: A practice imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in which a pay television provider supplants an American station's signal with a feed from a Canadian station/network airing a particular program in the same time slot to protect domestic advertising revenue. Some of these affiliates are also receivable over the air in southern areas of the country located near
5423-525: A radio drama in January 1937 and subsequently transferred to television in June 1952. With the exception of several years in the late 1940s, during which creator Irna Phillips was involved in a dispute with Procter & Gamble , Guiding Light was heard or seen nearly every weekday from 1937 to 2009, making it the longest story ever told in a broadcast medium. Originally serials were broadcast as 15-minute installments each weekday in daytime slots. In 1956, As
5610-803: A separate digital channel, available on satellite and cable providers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which shut down as a TV station in the end of 2009. NBC programming is available in Mexico through free-to-air affiliates in markets located within proximity to the Mexico–United States border (such as KYMA-DT / Yuma, Arizona ; KGNS-TV / Laredo, Texas ; KTSM / El Paso, Texas ; KVEO / Brownsville, Texas ; and KNSD / San Diego ), whose signals are readily receivable over-the-air in border areas of northern Mexico. Some U.S.-based border affiliates are also available on subscription television providers throughout
5797-510: A series of daily prime time soaps from 2006 to 2007, which aired on newly created sister network MyNetworkTV , but the experiment was largely a failure after disappointing ratings). Due to the masses of episodes produced for a series, release of soap operas to DVD (a popular venue for distribution of current and vintage television series) is considered impractical. With the exception of occasional specials, daytime soap operas are notable by their absence from DVD release schedules (an exception being
All My Children - Misplaced Pages Continue
5984-525: A short time from 1979 to 1980). More than half of the serials had expanded to one-hour episodes by 1980. As of 2012, three of the four U.S. serials air one-hour episodes each weekday; only The Bold and the Beautiful airs 30-minute episodes. Soap operas were originally broadcast live from the studio, creating what many at the time regarded as a feeling similar to that of a stage play. As nearly all soap operas were originated at that time from New York City ,
6171-484: A single missing episode) was rerun on the Sci-Fi Channel in the 1990s. After The Edge of Night 's 1984 cancellation, reruns of the show's final five years were shown late nights on USA Network from 1985 to 1989. On January 20, 2000, a digital cable and satellite network dedicated to the genre, Soapnet , began re-airing soaps that originally aired on ABC, NBC and CBS. Newer broadcast networks since
6358-414: A soap opera is "that form of television that works with a continuous open narrative. Each episode ends with a promise that the storyline is to be continued in another episode". In 2012, Los Angeles Times columnist Robert Lloyd wrote of daily dramas: Although melodramatically eventful, soap operas such as this also have a luxury of space that makes them seem more naturalistic; indeed, the economics of
6545-481: A soap opera that was topical and could illustrate social issues for the audience. She wanted this and a combination of regular humor for the series. To keep the action more real, she allowed the audience to locate her fictional "Pine Valley" on a map: situated a mere hour-long train ride from New York City. Many believed Pine Valley was in New York because of a town called Pine Valley in western New York . However, it
6732-543: A soap opera that would bring in young viewers, and slowly the program was accomplishing that. The show's ratings did not start out strong, however. In its first year on the air, it ranked No. 17 out of 19 soap operas. Despite this, its audience grew with each passing year. The show was unique for its use of the Vietnam War . Before All My Children debuted, no show had discussed the war in any depth. There were traditional Phoebe and free-spirited Amy both butting heads over
6919-462: A soap opera will generally switch between several concurrent narrative threads that may at times interconnect and affect one another or may run entirely independent to each other. Episodes may feature some of the show's storylines, but not always all of them. Especially in daytime serials and those that are broadcast each weekday, there is some rotation of both storyline and actors so any given storyline or actor will appear in some but usually not all of
7106-494: A special episode ran for Herlie, showing clips from the past. On February 16, 2009, All My Children made daytime history with the nuptials of Reese Williams and Bianca Montgomery , the first legal same-sex marriage in American daytime television. After departing the show in February 2005, Riegel continued to return to the series for limited guest appearances, but permanently left the role in 2010. On November 20, 2009, Pratt
7293-458: A sperm switch—were all ill-received. By the start of 1999, with All My Children being voted as the "Worst of 1998" by Soap Opera Digest , McTavish was once again fired. As ratings began to fall, ABC convinced Nixon to make a brief return. Many long-running actors, such as Michael Nader , James Kiberd , and Robin Mattson , left their roles. Nixon decided to write a story that would rejuvenate
7480-401: A week's worth of episodes. Soap operas rarely conclude all their storylines at the same time. When one storyline ends, there are several other story threads at differing stages of development . Soap opera episodes typically end on some sort of cliffhanger , and the season finale (if a soap incorporates a break between seasons) ends in the same way, only to be resolved when the show returns for
7667-427: Is a part-owner of Hulu (along with majority owner The Walt Disney Company , owner of ABC), and has offered full-length episodes of most of NBC's programming through the streaming service (which are available for viewing on Hulu's website and mobile app ) since Hulu launched in private beta testing on October 29, 2007. The most recent episodes of the network's shows are usually made available on NBC.com and Hulu
All My Children - Misplaced Pages Continue
7854-410: Is attacked by a vigilante hate group led by her niece, Skye Chandler . Cindy marries Stuart and he adopts her son, Scott. She dies early in 1989 in one of the show's most-watched episodes. Felicia Minei Behr was hired as the new executive producer in early 1989. Having been a producer on Ryan's Hope , Behr was familiar with All My Children , having been an associate producer from 1970 to 1975. Among
8041-514: Is currently also broadcasting at 1080p via WNGT-CD , which is also serving as an ATSC 3.0 multiplex for the Raleigh area. While the equipment would allow the transmission of 2160p UHD, this was previously done through a secondary experimental station (WRAL-EX) where it transmitted limited NBC programming in UHD. The experimental station went off-air in 2018 as part of the FCC's repacking process. Meet
8228-532: Is falling in love with her lesbian psychiatrist, Lynn Carson (portrayed by Donna Pescow ). Lynn acknowledges that she is a lesbian, and Devon admits her crush, but Lynn rebuffs her. Before this storyline, no other American soap opera had done a story about homosexuality. The show tackled the issue of drug use when Mark La Mura 's character, Mark Dalton , becomes addicted to cocaine after years of casual use. His half-sister, Erica, stages an intervention with his friends to have him confront his problems. They practice
8415-502: Is her daughter. All My Children also found memorable villains in Billy Clyde Tuggle ( Matthew Cowles ) and Ray Gardner ( Gil Rogers ). All My Children had always aired in color since its 1970 debut. The episodes were initially only saved for a short time on cartridge tapes and were eventually erased in order to tape other productions. Beginning in 1976, all the episodes were saved on cartridge tape and then digitally since
8602-533: Is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the actor with the longest uninterrupted performance in a single role. A number of performers played roles for 20 years or longer, occasionally on more than one show. Rachel Ames played Audrey Hardy on both General Hospital and Port Charles from 1964 until 2007, and returned in 2009. Susan Lucci played Erica Kane in All My Children from
8789-610: Is not scheduled or because of last-minute deferrals of scheduled episodes to the following day because of breaking news coverage. ( Temporary production stoppages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic similarly resulted in CBS and ABC airing older reruns of The Young and the Restless , The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital during the Spring and Summer of 2020 in order to ration first-run episodes and, eventually, to fill airtime after
8976-473: Is not uncommon for a single character to be played by multiple actors. The key character of Mike Karr on The Edge of Night was played by three actors. Conversely, several actors have remained playing the same character for many years, or decades even. Helen Wagner played Hughes family matriarch Nancy Hughes on American soap As the World Turns from its April 2, 1956, debut through her death in May 2010. She
9163-404: Is the largest operator of NBC stations in terms of overall market reach, owning or providing services to 20 NBC affiliates (including those in larger markets such as Atlanta , Denver , St. Louis , Seattle and Cleveland ); Gray Television is the largest operator of NBC stations by numerical total, owning 28 NBC-affiliated stations. NBC provides video on demand access for delayed viewing of
9350-484: Is they thought if they could get their dream, they'd be satisfied... But that dream has been elusive", Nixon said. ABC later approached Nixon to create a show that would reflect a more contemporary tone. That program, One Life to Live , debuted in 1968. After the show became a success, the network asked Nixon for another program, and she revived her All My Children bible and the Erica Kane character. Nixon wrote
9537-502: Is under the umbrella branding of The More You Know , based on the network's long-time strand of internally-produced public service announcements of the same name . It premiered on October 8, 2016, giving Litton control of all but Fox's Weekend morning E/I programming among the five major broadcast networks. Live sports programming is also provided on weekends at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time, but most commonly between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern. Due to
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#17327656837779724-440: The 2002–03 season , with select shows among that season's slate of freshmen scripted series being broadcast in HD from their debuts. The network completed its conversion to high definition in September 2012, with the launch of NBC Kids, a new Saturday morning children's block programmed by new partial sister network PBS Kids Sprout , which also became the second Saturday morning children's block with an entirely HD schedule (after
9911-723: The 2016 Ryder Cup ). NBC holds the broadcast rights to several annual specials and award show telecasts, including the Golden Globe Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards (which are rotated across all four major networks each year). Since 1953, NBC has served as the official U.S. broadcaster of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . CBS also carries unauthorized coverage of the Macy's parade as part of The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS ; however, as NBC holds rights to
10098-969: The Canada–United States border (signal coverage was somewhat reduced after the digital television transition in 2009 due to the lower radiated power required to transmit digital signals). NBC no longer exists outside the Americas as a channel in its own right. However, NBC News and MSNBC programs are broadcast for a few hours a day on OSN News, formerly known as Orbit News in Africa and the Middle East. Sister network CNBC Europe also broadcasts occasional breaking news coverage from MSNBC as well as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . CNBC Europe also broadcast daily airings of NBC Nightly News at 00:30 CET Monday to Fridays. In 1993, then-NBC parent General Electric acquired Super Channel, relaunching
10285-576: The LXTV -produced 1st Look and Open House NYC air after Saturday Night Live (replays of the previous week's 1st Look also air on Friday late nights on most stations), with a Meet the Press encore a part of its Sunday overnight schedule. The network's weekend morning children's programming time slot is programmed by Litton Entertainment under a time-lease agreement. The three-hour block of programming designed mainly for 14-16-year-old teenage viewers
10472-668: The Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants (NBC also held rights to the Miss Teen USA pageant from 2003, when NBC also assumed rights to the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants as part of a deal brokered by Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump that gave the network half-ownership of the pageants, until 2007, when NBC declined to renew its contract to carry Miss Teen USA, effectively discontinuing televised broadcasts of that event until 2023). NBCUniversal relinquished
10659-531: The TLC series Trading Spaces ); the Emmy-nominated reality game show Endurance , hosted and produced by J. D. Roth (whose production company, 3-Ball Productions, would also produce reality series The Biggest Loser for NBC beginning in 2003); and scripted series such as Strange Days at Blake Holsey High and Scout's Safari . The block later expanded to include some animated series such as Kenny
10846-528: The Who Killed Will Cortlandt? mystery, Willow Lake Acres (a humorous-but-serious tale about the plight of the elderly in a fraudulent nursing home), and a tornado that rocked Pine Valley. Behr also helped craft a story re-exploring Erica's father, Eric Kane. McTavish was also instrumental in a major, but still popular retroactive continuity (retcon) storyline in 1993. Shortly after being introduced, Kendall Hart ( Sarah Michelle Gellar )
11033-529: The union organizations representing the actors and crews. On January 7, 2013, Prospect Park officially brought back its project to restore All My Children as a web series . The show taped its first scenes for Prospect Park TOLN on February 18, 2013, and its first episode on the network aired on April 29, 2013. However, the new series faced several behind-the-scene obstacles throughout its run. On November 11, 2013, several All My Children cast members announced that Prospect Park had closed production and canceled
11220-586: The " Peacock Network " in reference to its stylized peacock logo , which was introduced in 1956 to promote the company's innovations in early color broadcasting . NBC has twelve owned-and-operated stations and has affiliates in every TV market in the United States . Some of the stations are also available in Canada , the Caribbean, and Mexico via pay-television providers or in border areas over
11407-491: The 1970s, became one of the first older women on the American serials to enter the workforce. Guiding Light dealt with Bert Bauer ( Charita Bauer ) and her alcoholic husband Bill, and their endless marital troubles. When Bert's status shifted to caring mother and town matriarch, her children's marital troubles were showcased. Search for Tomorrow mostly told its story through the eyes of Joanne Gardner ( Mary Stuart ). Even when stories revolved around other characters, Joanne
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#173276568377711594-508: The 1980s were powerful businessman Adam Chandler and his identical twin brother Stuart (both played by David Canary ), the first arrival of members of the Chandler family . Adam became cited as one of the "most powerful male figures in television", which was contrasted by Stuart's kind, generous, and honest personality. Erica began to take on a larger-than-life role by the 1980s, writing an autobiography, Raising Kane , and turning it into
11781-455: The 1990s and 2000s incorporated supernatural and science fiction elements into their storylines in an attempt to boost their ratings. One of the main characters on the earlier soap opera Dark Shadows was Barnabas Collins , a vampire, and One Life to Live featured an angel named Virgil. Both shows featured characters who traveled to and from the past. In 1995, Days of our Lives featured a storyline in which fan favorite character Marlena Evans
11968-538: The 2002 games. Coverage of the Olympics on NBC has included pre-empting regularly scheduled programs during daytime, prime time, and late night. In July 2022, NBC announced that the Olympic Channel will be shut down on September 30. NBC stated they will be announcing the plans for Olympic content in the fall of 2022. News coverage has long been an important part of NBC's operations and public image, dating to
12155-491: The 2003 live-action film Elf ). Since 2013, the network has aired live musical adaptations with major stars in lead roles. Originally dismissed as a gimmick, they have proven to be rating successes, as well as a nostalgic tribute to the early days of television. Past adaptations include: From 2003 to 2014, NBC also held rights to two of the three pageants organized by the Miss Universe Organization :
12342-480: The 2018 season allowed games to be streamed through network websites and apps. NBC's master feed is transmitted in 1080i high definition , the native resolution format for NBCUniversal's television properties. However, 19 of its affiliates transmit the network's programming in 720p HD, while four others carry the network feed in 480i standard definition either due to technical considerations for affiliates of other major networks that carry NBC programming on
12529-579: The ABC-syndicated Litton's Weekend Adventure ). All the network's programming has been presented in full HD since then (except for certain holiday specials produced prior to 2005 – such as its annual broadcast of It's a Wonderful Life – which continues to be presented in 4:3 SD, although some have been remastered for HD broadcast). The network's high-definition programming is broadcast in 5.1 surround sound . In 1999, NBC launched NBCi (briefly changing its web address to "www.nbci.com"),
12716-595: The Andrita Studios, from 2010 to 2011. Taping then moved to the Connecticut Film Center in Stamford, Connecticut . All My Children started taping in high definition on January 4, 2010, and began airing in high definition on February 3, 2010. All My Children became the third soap opera to be produced and broadcast in high definition. At one point, the program's popularity positioned it as
12903-412: The Bell , a live-action teen sitcom which originated on The Disney Channel the previous year as Good Morning, Miss Bliss (which served as a starring vehicle for Hayley Mills ; four cast members from that show were cast in the NBC series as the characters they originally played on Miss Bliss ). Saved by the Bell , despite being given bad reviews from television critics, would become one of
13090-531: The NBC Sports Group, which became an NBC property through Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal ) carries sports news content alongside sports event telecasts. Key anchors from NBC News are also used during NBC Sports coverage of the Olympic Games . While NBC has aired a variety of soap operas on its daytime schedule over its history, Days of Our Lives (1965–2022) was the last soap opera on
13277-542: The NBC network until May 2, 2010, when it became the last NBC News program to convert to HD). NBC officially began its conversion to high definition with the launch of its simulcast feed, NBC HD, on April 26, 1999, when The Tonight Show became the first HD program to air on the NBC network as well as the first regularly scheduled American network program to be produced and transmitted in high definition. The network gradually converted much of its existing programming from standard-definition to high definition beginning with
13464-605: The Pan-European cable network as NBC Super Channel. In 1996, the channel was renamed NBC Europe , but was, from then on, almost always referred to on-air as simply "NBC". Most of NBC Europe's prime time programming was produced in Europe due to rights restrictions associated with U.S. prime time shows; the channel's weekday late-night schedule after 11:00 p.m. Central European Time , however, featured The Tonight Show , Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Later , which
13651-785: The Prairie , Las Vegas , Crossing Jordan , the Law & Order franchise (begun independently by Universal Television, and became in-house programming after the NBCUniversal deal), The Office and the Chicago franchise . NBC has twelve owned-and-operated stations and current and pending affiliation agreements with 223 additional television stations encompassing 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. possessions and two non-U.S. territories ( Aruba and Bermuda ). The network has
13838-497: The Press was the first regular series on a major television network to produce a high-definition broadcast on February 2, 1997, which aired in the format over WHD-TV in Washington, D.C., an experimental television station owned by a consortium of industry groups and stations which launched to allow testing of HD broadcasts and operated until 2002 (the program itself continued to be transmitted in 480i standard definition over
14025-462: The Press , weekday early-morning news program Early Today and primetime newsmagazine Dateline NBC on Friday nights . Late nights feature the weeknight talk shows The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , Late Night with Seth Meyers , and an overnight replay of Today with Hoda & Jenna . NBC affiliates carrying it in syndication also have the option to substitute a same-day encore of The Kelly Clarkson Show on weekdays. On Saturdays,
14212-553: The Qubo venture also encompassed weekly blocks on Telemundo and Ion Television , a 24-hour digital multicast network on Ion's owned-and-operated and affiliated stations, as well as video on demand services and a branded website. Qubo launched on NBC on September 9, 2006, with six programs ( VeggieTales , Dragon , VeggieTales Presents: 3-2-1 Penguins! , Babar , Jane and the Dragon and Jacob Two-Two ). On March 28, 2012, it
14399-508: The Shark , Tutenstein and Time Warp Trio . In May 2006, NBC announced plans to launch a new Saturday morning children's block under the Qubo brand in September 2006. An endeavor originally operated as a joint venture between NBCUniversal , Ion Media Networks , Scholastic Press , Classic Media and Corus Entertainment 's Nelvana unit (Ion acquired the other partners' shares in 2013),
14586-399: The U.S. since the 2000s. As of September 2022, only four daytime soap operas – General Hospital , Days of Our Lives , The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful – are still in production with three airing on two broadcast networks and one on streaming, down from a total of 12 soaps broadcast during the 1990–91 season and a high of 19 in the 1969–70 season. This marks
14773-436: The United States, All My Children experienced unprecedented declines in its ratings during the 2000s. By the 2010s, it had become one of the least-watched soap operas in daytime television. On April 14, 2011, ABC announced that it was canceling All My Children after 41 years on the air due to low ratings. On July 7, 2011, ABC sold the licensing rights of All My Children to third-party production company Prospect Park with
14960-455: The World Turns and The Edge of Night , both produced by Procter & Gamble Productions , debuted as the first half-hour soap operas on the CBS television network. All soap operas broadcast half-hour episodes by the end of the 1960s. With increased popularity in the 1970s, most soap operas had expanded to an hour in length by the end of the decade ( Another World even expanded to 90 minutes for
15147-455: The abortion particularly controversial is Erica's reason for doing it, not because of her jeopardized health, but rather because she did not want to gain weight and lose her modeling job. The abortion story received much media attention, especially since it preceded the Roe vs. Wade decision by nearly a year. Within the story, Erica developed a potentially fatal infection after having the abortion, and
15334-443: The actual Philadelphia suburb of Penn Valley. The original series featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane , one of daytime television's most popular characters. All My Children was the first new network daytime drama to debut in the 1970s. Originally owned by Creative Horizons, Inc., the company created by Nixon and her husband, Bob, the show was sold to ABC in January 1970. The series started with half-hour episodes before expanding to
15521-712: The air. NBC also maintains brand licensing agreements for international channels in South Korea and Germany . The first and oldest major broadcast network in the United States, NBC was formed in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), then owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse , AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Company . In 1932, the US Government forced GE to sell RCA and NBC due to antitrust violations. In late 1986, GE regained control of RCA through its $ 6.4 billion purchase of
15708-401: The cast and crew ventured to Jamaica to tape a love consummation storyline between the characters of Garth and Kathy. During the 1980s, perhaps as a reaction to the evening drama series that were gaining high ratings, daytime serials began to incorporate action and adventure storylines, more big-business intrigue, and an increased emphasis on youthful romance. One of the most popular couples
15895-433: The cast and storylines are rotated across the week's episodes so that each cast member will appear in some but not all episodes. UK and Australian soap operas move through storylines at a faster rate than daytime serials, making them closer to U.S. evening soap operas in this regard. American daytime soap operas feature stylistic elements that set them apart from other shows: Soap opera ratings have significantly fallen in
16082-561: The channel's slogan "Where the Stars Come Out at Night" was based around. Many NBC News programs were broadcast on NBC Europe, including Dateline NBC , Meet the Press and NBC Nightly News , the latter of which was broadcast simultaneously with the initial U.S. telecast. Today was also initially aired live in the afternoons, but was later broadcast instead the following morning on a more than half-day delay. In 1999, NBC Europe ceased broadcasting in most of Europe outside of Germany;
16269-542: The character receiving treatment at the Betty Ford Center ), and also the story of homophobia over a gay high school boy and a history teacher. However, with the ratings still stagnant, ABC did not renew longtime executive producer Felicia Minei Behr's contract, and brought in Francesca James (who had previously won an Emmy award acting on the show as twins Kitty and Kelly). The storylines now included
16456-448: The company. Although it retained NBC, GE immediately closed or sold off most of RCA's other divisions and assets. In 2003, French media company Vivendi merged its entertainment assets with GE, forming NBCUniversal . Comcast purchased a controlling interest in NBCUniversal in 2011 and acquired GE's remaining stake in 2013. NBC is the home broadcaster of some of the longest continuously running American television series , including
16643-596: The couple, including telling Nina she is going blind due to her diabetes. Palmer teams up with Cliff's past flame, nurse Sybil Thorne ( Linda Gibboney ), who confronts Cliff about fathering her son, but this is temporary; Sybil is murdered and Cliff is arrested for the crime, which actually was committed by Sean Cudahy (Alan Dysert). During the murder trial, Nina is astonished to learn that her mother, Daisy Cortlandt ( Gillian Spencer ), whom she believes to be dead, is, in fact, alive and living in Pine Valley as Monique Jonvil. To everyone's complete shock, Myra acknowledges that Daisy
16830-454: The daily episode format of its daytime counterparts) and Another Life (a soap that combined standard serial drama with religious overtones), during the 1980s. Fox, the fourth "major network" , carried a short-lived daytime soap Tribes in 1990. Yet, other than this and a couple of pilot attempts, Fox mainly stayed away from daytime soaps, and has not attempted them since their ascension to major-network status in 1994 (it did later attempt
17017-659: The day after their original broadcast. In addition, NBC.com and certain other partner websites (including Hulu) provide complete back catalogs of most of its current series as well as a limited selection of episodes of classic series from the NBCUniversal Television Distribution program library – including shows not broadcast by NBC during their original runs (including the complete or partial episode catalogs of shows like 30 Rock , The A-Team , Charles in Charge , Emergency! , Knight Rider (both
17204-508: The demographic group for which soap opera advertisers pay the most. Those who might watch in workplace breakrooms are not counted, as Nielsen does not track television viewing outside the home. The rise of cable and the Internet has also provided new sources of entertainment during the day. The genre's decline has additionally been attributed to reality television displacing soap operas as TV's dominant form of melodrama. An early term for
17391-586: The direction of the series. After the O. J. Simpson trial preempted daytime television programs throughout late 1994 and into 1995, many soaps saw their ratings decline, and All My Children was no different. When McTavish was fired from her head writing post in the spring, former head writer Lorraine Broderick was tapped by Behr to lead the team once again. Broderick's tenure under Behr was popular among critics and fans for returning All My Children to its socially relevant, character-driven roots. Her most significant successes were Erica's drug addiction story (with
17578-442: The early 1970s, nearly all soap operas had transitioned to being taped. As the World Turns and The Edge of Night were the last to make the switch, in 1975. Port Charles used the practice of running 13-week " story arcs ," in which the main events of the arc are played out and wrapped up over the 13 weeks, although some storylines did continue over more than one arc. According to the 2006 Preview issue of Soap Opera Digest , it
17765-470: The exotic appeal of the stereotypes connected to the location. As examples, EastEnders focuses on the tough and grim life in the East End of London; Coronation Street and its characters exhibit the stereotypical characteristic of "northern straight talking". If we want to blend an actor back into a show, there's always a way. You can generally find a way to twist and manipulate something. You rarely see
17952-634: The final 4 1 ⁄ 2 years of Search for Tomorrow (1982–1986) after that series was initially cancelled by CBS, although many NBC affiliates did not clear the show during its tenure on the network. NBC has also aired numerous short-lived soap operas, including Generations (1989–1991), Sunset Beach (1997–1999), and the two Another World spin-offs, Somerset (1970–1976) and Texas (1980–1982). Notable daytime game shows that once aired on NBC include The Price Is Right (1956–1963), Concentration (1958–1973; and 1987–1991 as Classic Concentration ), The Match Game (1962–1969), Let's Make
18139-428: The first network daytime serial. The main characteristics that define soap operas are "an emphasis on family life, personal relationships, sexual dramas, emotional and moral conflicts; some coverage of topical issues; set in familiar domestic interiors with only occasional excursions into new locations". Fitting in with these characteristics, most soap operas follow the lives of a group of characters who live or work in
18326-429: The first new daytime soap opera to premiere on a major broadcast network since Passions in 1999. As women increasingly worked outside of the home, daytime television viewing declined. New generations of potential viewers were not raised watching soap operas with their mothers, leaving the shows' long and complex storylines foreign to younger audiences. As viewers age, ratings continue to drop among young adult women,
18513-464: The first soap opera since Generations to feature an African American cast. On April 12, 2024, CBS renewed The Talk for a 15th and final season, with the show concluding in December 2024. Three days later, on April 15, The Gates (now titled " Beyond the Gates ") was greenlit by CBS and is slated to premiere on February 24, 2025, likely to take the time slot of The Talk , meaning it will be
18700-407: The first stations to offer streams of their programming on NBC's website and mobile app, and new affiliation agreements have made a majority of the network's affiliates available through the network's website and app based on a viewer's location. The network's NFL game telecasts were not permitted to be streamed on the service for several years until a change to the league's mobile rights agreement in
18887-530: The first time since 1953 that there have been only four soap operas airing on broadcast television . The Young and the Restless , the highest-rated soap opera from 1988 to the present, had fewer than 5 million daily viewers as of February 2012, a number exceeded by several non-scripted programs such as Judge Judy . Circulations of soap opera magazines have decreased and some have even ceased publication. Soapnet, which largely aired soap opera reruns, began to be phased out in 2012 and fully ceased operations
19074-704: The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal , a subsidiary of Comcast . The headquarters of NBC is in New York City at the Comcast Building . NBC also has offices in Chicago at the NBC Tower . Founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America , NBC is the oldest of the traditional "Big Three" American television networks and is sometimes referred to as
19261-495: The following year. The Daytime Emmy Awards , which honor soap operas and other daytime shows, moved from prime time network television to smaller cable channels in 2012, then failed to get any TV broadcast at all in 2014, 2016, and 2017. Several of the U.S.'s most established soaps ended between 2009 and 2012. The longest-running drama in television and radio history, Guiding Light , barely reached 2.1 million daily viewers in 2009 and ended on September 18 of that year, after
19448-402: The form demand long scenes, and conversations that a 22-episodes-per-season weekly series might dispense with in half a dozen lines of dialogue may be drawn out, as here, for pages. You spend more time even with the minor characters; the apparent villains grow less apparently villainous. Soap opera storylines run concurrently, intersect and lead into further developments. An individual episode of
19635-734: The gamut of soap operas, from EastEnders to Dallas . In many soap operas, in particular daytime serials in the US, the characters are frequently attractive, seductive, glamorous and wealthy. Soap operas from the United Kingdom and Australia tend to focus on more everyday characters and situations, and are frequently set in working-class environments. Many of the soaps produced in those two countries explore social realist storylines such as family discord, marriage breakdown or financial problems. Both UK and Australian soap operas feature comedic elements, often affectionate comic stereotypes such as
19822-413: The gossip or the grumpy old man, presented as a comic foil to the emotional turmoil that surrounds them. This diverges from US soap operas where such comedy is rare. UK soap operas frequently make a claim to presenting "reality" or purport to have a "realistic" style. UK soap operas also frequently foreground their geographic location as a key defining feature of the show while depicting and capitalising on
20009-439: The hospital). The two fell in love and Charles divorced Phoebe, even though she tried to blackmail Mona and even faked paralysis . In the end, Phoebe was left a drunken divorcée and Mona becomes the new Mrs. Tyler. This ordeal starts the long-time Phoebe/Mona rivalry. When Eileen Letchworth , who portrayed Margo Flax Martin, contemplated a facelift, she talked it over with Nixon. Not only was Letchworth going to need time off, she
20196-629: The kinescopes from Nixon with a promise that the network would archive them. However, that promise was nearly broken, because different sources point out that most of them were either lost in a warehouse fire or were erased. As mentioned above, a few early episodes survive. The early 1980s is considered a "golden period" for the show and the "Golden Age" for supercouples . Younger characters, such as Greg Nelson and Jenny Gardner ( Laurence Lau and Kim Delaney ), Liza Colby ( Marcy Walker ), Liza's best friend Amanda ( Amanda Bearse ), Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter ( Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan ), and
20383-435: The late 1960s and into the 1970s. Exterior shots were slowly incorporated into the series The Edge of Night and Dark Shadows . Unlike many earlier serials that were set in fictional towns, The Best of Everything and Ryan's Hope were set in a real-world location, New York City. The first exotic location shoot was made by All My Children , to St. Croix in 1978. Many other soap operas planned lavish storylines after
20570-484: The late 1980s, such as Fox and cable television networks, have largely eschewed soap operas in their daytime schedules, instead running syndicated programming and reruns. No cable television outlet has produced its own daytime serial, although DirecTV 's The 101 Network took over existing serial Passions , continuing production for one season; while TBS and CBN Cable Network respectively aired their own soap operas, The Catlins (a primetime soap that utilized
20757-439: The late 1990s. A few early episodes were saved on kinescope in black and white, one of which aired on ABC in 1997 on a special "A Daytime To Remember", which showcased all TV shows that aired on ABC Daytime. But there are no known pre-1976 episodes to be still in existence on tape. Nixon personally owned all the early episodes on monochromatic kinescopes. When ABC purchased the rights to All My Children in 1975, it also received
20944-557: The legend of "Tad the Cad" is born when Tad takes Liza's virginity , then simultaneously begins having sex with her mother, socialite Marian Colby ( Jennifer Bassey ), who eventually is sent to prison. For older appeal, Jenny and Tad's natural mother Opal ( Dorothy Lyman ) was also added to the canvas, where she opens the Glamorama salon and spa. Opal greatly showcased All My Children ' s attempt at humor and satire. Also introduced in
21131-449: The loyalty of the soap opera fan base and the expansion of several half-hour series into hour-long broadcasts in order to maximise advertising revenues. The article explained that at that time, many prime time series lost money, while daytime serials earned profits several times more than their production costs. The issue's cover notably featured its first daytime soap stars, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives ,
21318-469: The matriarch of The Guiding Light , Bert Bauer, developed uterine cancer (as the actress, Charita Bauer , had been diagnosed with the same illness in real life). The storyline encouraged many women to get pap smears and the CBS mailroom in New York City received a then-record amount of fan mail wishing Bauer (both Bert and Charita) well. Nixon would go on to tell many socially relevant storylines on her soaps One Life to Live and All My Children in
21505-462: The morning news/interview program Today from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00a.m. weekdays, 7:00a.m.–8:30 a.m. / 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. / 8:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m. on Sundays, it also airs NBC News Daily at 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. on weekdays, it includes nightly editions of NBC Nightly News , the Sunday political talk show Meet
21692-439: The most popular storylines, often involved a romance of the sort presented in paperback romance novels . Soap opera storylines weave intricate, convoluted and sometimes confusing tales of characters who have affairs, meet mysterious strangers and fall in love, and who commit adultery, all of which keeps audiences hooked on the unfolding story. Crimes such as kidnapping, assault (sometimes sexual), and even murder may go unpunished if
21879-453: The most popular teen series in television history as well as the top-rated series on Saturday mornings, dethroning ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show in its first season. The success of Saved by the Bell led NBC to remove animated series from its Saturday morning lineup in August 1992 in favor of additional live-action series as part of a new block called TNBC , along with the debut of
22066-400: The most widely recorded television show in the United States. In the mid-1970s, its audience was estimated to be 30% male, which was unusual at the time. The show ranked first in the daytime Nielsen ratings in the 1978–79 season. Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, All My Children was the number-two daytime soap opera on the air. However, like the rest of the soap operas in
22253-424: The network was concurrently relaunched as a German-language technology channel aimed at a younger demographic, with the new series NBC GIGA as its flagship program. In 2005, the channel was relaunched again as the free-to-air movie channel Das Vierte which eventually shut down end of 2013 (acquired by Disney, which replaced it with a German version of Disney Channel). GIGA Television was subsequently spun off as
22440-514: The network when it was taken off the air in 2022 (and moved to the Peacock streaming service). Currently the network only offers NBC News Daily on its afternoon schedule, with affiliates using the rest of the afternoon for syndicated or local programming. Long-running daytime dramas seen on NBC in the past include The Doctors (1963–1982), Another World (1964–1999), Santa Barbara (1984–1993), and Passions (1999–2007). NBC also aired
22627-484: The network's programming through various means, including via its website at NBC.com, a traditional VOD service called NBC on Demand available on most traditional cable and IPTV providers, and through content deals with Hulu and Netflix (the latter of which carries only cataloged episodes of NBC programs, after losing the right to carry newer episodes of its programs during their current seasons in July 2011). NBCUniversal
22814-427: The network's radio days. Notable NBC News productions past and present include Today , NBC Nightly News (and its immediate predecessor, The Huntley–Brinkley Report ), Meet the Press (which has the distinction of the longest continuously running program in the history of American television), Dateline NBC , Early Today , NBC News at Sunrise , NBC Nightside and Rock Center with Brian Williams . In 1989,
23001-547: The news division began its expansion to cable with the launch of the business news channel CNBC . The company eventually formed other cable news services including MSNBC (created in 1996 originally as a joint venture with Microsoft , which now features a mix of general news and political discussion programs with a liberal stance), and the 2008 acquisition of The Weather Channel in conjunction with Blackstone Group and Bain Capital . In addition, NBCSN (operated as part of
23188-907: The news program Meet the Press (debuted 1947); Today (debuted 1952); The Tonight Show (debuted nationally 1954); and Saturday Night Live (debuted 1975). The drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , which debuted in 1999, began its 26th season in October 2024 and is currently the longest-running live-action series in American prime-time television history. As of 2022 , NBC provides 87 hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week. The network provides 22 hours of prime-time programming to affiliated stations Monday through Saturdays from 8:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time (7:00p.m.–10:00p.m. in all other U.S. time zones) and Sundays from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time (6:00p.m.–10:00p.m. in all other time zones). Daytime NBC News programming includes
23375-497: The only U.S. states where NBC does not have a locally licensed affiliate. New Jersey is served by New York City O&O WNBC-TV and Philadelphia O&O WCAU; New Jersey formerly had an in-state affiliate in Atlantic City -based WMGM-TV , which was affiliated with the network from 1955 to 2014. Delaware is served by Salisbury affiliate WRDE-LD and Philadelphia-based WCAU . NBC maintains affiliations with low-power stations in
23562-525: The original broadcasts of Gumby , The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show , Underdog , The Smurfs , Alvin and the Chipmunks and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears . From 1984 to 1989, the network aired a series of public service announcements called One to Grow On , which aired after the end credits of every program or every other children's program. In 1989, NBC premiered Saved by
23749-450: The original series and the short-lived 2008 reboot ), Kojak , Miami Vice , The Office , Quantum Leap and Simon & Simon ). On February 18, 2015, NBC began providing live programming streams of local NBC stations in select markets, which are only available to authenticated subscribers of participating pay television providers . All eleven NBC-owned-and-operated stations owned by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations' were
23936-489: The parade, it has exclusivity over the broadcast of Broadway and music performances appearing in the parade (CBS airs live performances separate from those seen in the parade as a result), and Macy's chose to reroute the parade in 2012 out of the view of CBS' cameras, although it continues to cover the parade. NBC began airing a same-day rebroadcast of the parade telecast in 2009 (replacing its annual Thanksgiving afternoon airing of Miracle on 34th Street ). In 2007, NBC acquired
24123-421: The perpetrator is to be retained in the ongoing story. Australian and UK soap operas also feature a significant proportion of romance storylines. In Russia, most popular serials explore the "romantic quality" of criminal and/or oligarch life. In soap opera storylines, previously unknown children, siblings and twins (including the evil variety ) of established characters often emerge to upset and reinvigorate
24310-411: The programs ran out of new episodes to broadcast; Days of Our Lives , which produces its episodes roughly eight months ahead of their initial broadcast, did not resort to airing older episodes during this time as it had a larger first-run episode backlog.) Early episodes of Dark Shadows were rerun on PBS member stations in the early 1970s after the show's cancellation, and the entire series (except for
24497-601: The prosperous Brooks family with four daughters, and the working-class Foster family of a single working mother with three children. Its storylines explored realistic problems including cancer, mental illness, poverty, and infidelity. In contrast, Dark Shadows (1966–1971), Port Charles (1997–2003) and Passions (1999–2008) featured supernatural characters and dealt with fantasy and horror storylines. Their characters included vampires, witches, ghosts, goblins, and angels. The American soap opera Guiding Light (originally titled The Guiding Light until 1975) started as
24684-427: The reality TV genre was docu-soap . A precursor to reality TV, the televised 1994–95 O. J. Simpson murder case , both preempted and competed with an entire season of soaps, transforming viewing habits and leaving soap operas with 10 percent fewer viewers after the trial ended. NBC The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC ) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as
24871-406: The return of fan favorites Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams as Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter . Morgan returned on January 18, 2008, and Williams on January 25, 2008. In April 2008, it was announced that Laurence Lau would briefly reprise the role of Greg Nelson for Jesse and Angie's much anticipated wedding. On May 21, 2008, Charles Pratt, Jr. , former co-head writer for General Hospital ,
25058-399: The return of various characters who had been gone for long. She introduced star-crossed couple JR Chandler and Babe Carey upon writing JR's return to the series, scripted most of popular pairing Bianca Montgomery and Maggie Stone 's love story, and created fellow popular couple Zach Slater and Kendall Hart . Characters Julia Santos ( Sydney Penny ) and Janet Dillon ( Kate Collins , who
25245-774: The rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA on June 29, 2015, as part of its decision to cut business ties with Donald Trump and the Miss Universe Organization (which was half-owned by corporate parent NBCUniversal) in response to controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants made by Trump during the launch of his 2016 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination . Through the years, NBC has produced many in-house programs, in addition to airing content from other producers such as Revue Studios and its successor Universal Television . Notable in-house productions by NBC have included Bonanza , Little House on
25432-549: The rights to the National Dog Show , which airs following the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade each year. The network also broadcasts several live-action and animated specials during the Christmas holiday season , including the 2014 debuts How Murray Saved Christmas (an animated musical adaptation of the children's book of the same name) and Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas (a stop-motion animated special based on
25619-524: The role of political activist Amy Tyler. Prinz was well known for her role of Penny Hughes on As the World Turns in the 1950s and 1960s, and she was added to the show to give it an initial boost due to her name value. From 1970 and into the 1980s, the show was either written by Nixon herself or by her protégé, Wisner Washam . He was groomed by Nixon to eventually take over the reins in the 1980s while she focused on other endeavors, which included creating and launching Loving in 1983. Nixon strove to create
25806-768: The role, Behr hired Jill Larson . Lyman later noted her disappointment in never being contacted about reprising the role. At the time of Behr's hiring in early 1989, the show usually ranked around No. 4 in the ratings. By 1990, it had inched up to the No. 3 spot. ABC chose Megan McTavish , a former actress who had been on the writing team since 1987, to be its new head writer. She was officially promoted to that position in 1992, with Nixon serving as executive head writer. Stories such as Molly's leukemia, Ceara Connor's ( Genie Francis ') incest , Mona's lung cancer, and Deconstruction (a story about racism), were all praised in soap opera magazines for their social conscience. Other storylines included
25993-479: The series again. ABC regained the rights to the show in December 2016. Agnes Nixon , then head writer for The Guiding Light , first came up with the idea for All My Children in the 1960s. When writing the story bible , she designed the show as a light-hearted soap opera that focused on social issues and young love. She unsuccessfully attempted to sell the series to NBC , then to CBS , and once again to NBC through Procter & Gamble . When Procter & Gamble
26180-511: The series as Greenlee Smythe ; the return was one of the most widely reported in daytime television history, attracting mainstream media attention such as the Associated Press and New York Daily News . Budig's return was overshadowed by controversy when news of Sabine Singh 's reportedly unfair treatment as a Greenlee recast in order to bring Budig back incited viewer outrage. On December 25, 2007, Soap Opera Digest reported
26367-498: The series, the writers chose to kill off Dixie in January 2007 only a year after her return. The character's death was the result of the Satin Slayer storyline where she is unintentionally murdered in place of character Babe Carey . Another prominent return to the series occurred on February 9, 2007, when Susan Pratt returned as Barbara Montgomery . Pratt made her last appearance in July of that year. That same month, McTavish
26554-426: The set of relationships examined by the series. Unexpected calamities disrupt weddings, childbirths, and other major life events with unusual frequency. As in comic books – another popular form of linear storytelling pioneered in the US during the 20th century – a character's death is not guaranteed to be permanent . On The Bold and the Beautiful , Taylor Hayes ( Hunter Tylo ) was shown to flatline and have
26741-635: The show and be socially relevant at the same time. This resulted in the series revealing Erica's daughter Bianca as a lesbian. Within the series, Bianca admits the truth to her mother in December 2000. Although initially controversial, the storyline was praised by fans and critics. Bianca emerged as a breakout character and lesbian icon. The show found additional success in the pairing of newcomers Leo and Greenlee ( Josh Duhamel and Rebecca Budig ). Richard Culliton wrote several of All My Children ' s early 2000s (decade) storylines. He created popular characters Frankie and Maggie Stone , and said Frankie
26928-471: The show set to continue on the internet as a series of webisodes . The show taped its final scenes for ABC on August 30, 2011, and its final episode on the network aired on September 23, 2011, with a cliffhanger . On September 26, 2011, the following Monday, ABC replaced All My Children with a new talk show called The Chew . Prospect Park had suspended its plan to revive the series on November 23, 2011, due to lack of funding and unsuccessful negotiation with
27115-465: The show until late 2002. After more staff turnover, McTavish again returned as head writer. Her storylines began airing in July 2003, which included the controversial rape of Bianca . Gone upon McTavish's latest return was Jean Dadario Burke as executive producer, being replaced with Julie Hanan Carruthers . Under McTavish, ratings fluctuated back and forth. To lure back long-time viewers, McTavish created new characters and romances, as well as scripted
27302-425: The show was later renewed through September 2021. In 2022, NBC announced that Days of Our Lives would be moved exclusively to its streaming service, Peacock , making NBC the first of the big three networks not to air any daytime soap operas. In March 2024, CBS Studios , NAACP Venture , in partnership with P&G Studios announced that a new soap opera for CBS titled The Gates is in development and will be
27489-1535: The show's debut in January 1970 until it ended its network television run on ABC on September 23, 2011. Erika Slezak played Victoria Lord #3 on One Life to Live from 1971 until the show ended its network television run on ABC on January 13, 2012, and resumed the role in its short-lived online revival on April 29, 2013. Other actors have played several characters on different shows. Millette Alexander , Bernard Barrow , Doris Belack , David Canary , Judith Chapman , Keith Charles , Jordan Charney , Joan Copeland , Nicolas Coster , Jacqueline Courtney , Augusta Dabney , Louis Edmonds , Don Hastings , Larry Haines , Vincent Irizarry , Lenore Kasdorf , Teri Keane , Lois Kibbee , John Loprieno , Lori March , Maeve McGuire , Robert Mili , James Mitchell , Lee Patterson , Christopher Pennock , Antony Ponzini , William Prince , Rosemary Prinz , Louise Shaffer , Mary Stuart , Richard Thomas , Diana van der Vlis , Mary K. Wells , Lesley Woods and Michael Zaslow , among many others, have all played multiple soap roles. For several decades, most daytime soap operas concentrated on family and marital discord, legal drama and romance. The action rarely left interior settings, and many shows were set in fictional, medium-sized Midwestern towns. Social issue storylines were typically verboten when soaps were starting, due to heavy network-imposed censorship at that time, but writer and producer Agnes Nixon introduced these storylines slowly but surely, first in 1962 when
27676-501: The shows were aimed at – and consumed by – a predominantly female audience. Clara, Lu, 'n Em would become the first network radio serial of the type when it aired on the NBC Blue Network at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on January 27, 1931. Although it did not make the move until February 15, 1932, Clara, Lu 'n Em would become the first network serial of the type to move to a weekday daily timeslot, and so also became
27863-429: The start of a new yearly broadcast. Evening soap operas and those that air at a rate of one episode per week are more likely to feature the entire cast in each episode and present all storylines. Evening soap operas and serials that run for only part of the year tend to bring things to a dramatic end-of-season cliffhanger. In 1976, Time magazine described American daytime television as "TV's richest market", noting
28050-471: The stories are similar to what happened to them in real life, or two, thank goodness that isn't me. Many long-running US soap operas established particular environments for their stories. The Doctors and General Hospital , in the beginning, told stories almost exclusively from inside the confines of a hospital. As the World Turns dealt heavily with Chris Hughes' law practice and the travails of his wife Nancy who, tired of being "the loyal housewife" in
28237-465: The stories featured was a baby storyline involving the characters of Adam, Brooke, Tad, and Dixie ( Cady McClain ). By this time, the show had also found a "hit couple" in Cecily and Nico (portrayed by Rosa Nevin and Maurice Benard ), but Behr was unable to convince either to remain with the show, and the duo left at the end of 1989. ABC was pleased with Behr; Nixon was as well, and decided her creation
28424-538: The success of the All My Children shoot. Soap operas Another World and Guiding Light both went to St. Croix in 1980, the former show culminating a long-running storyline between popular characters Mac, Rachel and Janice, and the latter to serve as an exotic setting for Alan Spaulding and Rita Bauer 's torrid affair. Search for Tomorrow taped for two weeks in Hong Kong in 1981. Later that year, some of
28611-622: The supernatural soap opera, Dark Shadows , which did receive an essentially complete release on both VHS and DVD; the single lost episode #1219 is reconstructed by means of an off-the-air audio recording, still images, and recap material from adjacent episodes). Soap opera performers in the United States are typically divided into two main groups: primary characters (sometimes referred to as "contract players" – as their portrayers signed contracts of employment – or leading characters) and secondary characters (sometimes referred to as recurring characters). These two groups of characters make up
28798-420: The switchboards at ABC lit up with calls from doctors and nurses, offering their medical opinions on how best to treat the character's case. The storyline has been credited for boosting the show's ratings, as well as helping establish Erica Kane as a central character who would dominate the show for its entire run. Phoebe's husband Charles ( Hugh Franklin ) became close to Mona (Erica's mother and his secretary at
28985-849: The television and radio networks were similar to the logo of its then-parent company, RCA. Logos used later in NBC's existence incorporated stylized peacock designs, including the current version that has been in use since 1986. NBC network programs can be received throughout most of Canada on cable, satellite and IPTV providers through certain U.S.-based affiliates of the network (such as WBTS-CD in Boston, KING-TV in Seattle, KBJR-TV in Duluth, Minnesota , WGRZ in Buffalo, New York and WHEC-TV in Rochester, New York ). Some programs carried on these stations are subject to simultaneous substitutions ,
29172-584: The time. With the resultant budget cuts, soap operas were no longer able to go on expensive location shoots overseas as they were able to do in the 1980s. During that decade, soap operas increasingly focused on younger characters and social issues , such as Erica Kane 's drug addiction on All My Children , the re-emergence of Viki Lord 's dissociative identity disorder on One Life to Live , and Stuart Chandler dealing with his wife Cindy dying of AIDS on All My Children . Other social issues included cancer , rape , abortion and racism . Several shows during
29359-545: The unpredictable length of sporting events, NBC will occasionally pre-empt scheduled programs (more common with the weekend editions of NBC Nightly News , and local and syndicated programs carried by its owned-and-operated stations and affiliates). NBC has also held the American broadcasting rights to the Summer Olympic Games since the 1988 games and the rights to the Winter Olympic Games since
29546-420: The vast majority of the people who appear on any given soap. There are also characters who appear only for a short time as dictated by a specific storyline, and even characters who may only get a first name and no fleshed-out character history with little dialogue (these are sometimes referred to as "under-5s" since they receive under five lines of dialogue in each episode). Due to the longevity of these shows, it
29733-406: The war with the help of Dr. Frank Grant (John Danelle) in 1976. Dr. Frank Grant , first seen in Pine Valley in 1972, his wife Nancy (played by Lisa Wilkinson and first seen in 1973), and Caroline (debuting in 1976) were the first Black leading characters on All My Children . In May 1972, the character of Erica Kane Martin became the first television character to undergo a legal abortion. Making
29920-431: The war, with Amy often leading protests around Pine Valley. When Amy left, Ruth takes over as the anti-war voice and protests against the war in the early 1970s. The character's protest speech in 1972 won Mary Fickett the first Emmy Award given to a soap opera performer. Later in the show's run, Phoebe softened. Nurse Caroline Murray, played by Patricia Dixon, was a Vietnam veteran who overcame her chilling flashbacks to
30107-416: The word in a way that excludes short-running serial dramas from their definition of "soap opera". BBC Radio 's The Archers , first broadcast in 1950, is the world's longest-running radio soap opera. The longest-running existing television soap is Coronation Street , which was first broadcast on ITV in 1960. According to Albert Moran, one of the defining features that make a television program
30294-502: The world from being frozen, brought a mobster down by finding his black book in a left-handed boy statue, and helped a princess find her Aztec treasure in Mexico . Other soap operas attempted similar adventure storylines, often featuring footage shot on location – frequently in exotic locales. During the 1990s, the mob, action and adventure stories fell out of favor with producers, due to generally declining ratings for daytime soap operas at
30481-422: The young romance of classmates Tara Martin ( Karen Lynn Gorney ) and Phil Brent ( Richard Hatch ), Erica learned that Phil was not the son of Ruth and Ted, but instead, the son of Ruth's sister, Amy Tyler ( Rosemary Prinz ) and her mother's friend, Nick Davis. In a selfish attempt to break up Phil and Tara, she told everyone the truth. All My Children ' s first success was its focus on young love. ABC wanted
30668-524: Was Luke Spencer and Laura Webber on General Hospital . Luke and Laura helped to attract both male and female fans. Even actress Elizabeth Taylor was a fan and at her own request was given a guest role in Luke and Laura's wedding episode. Luke and Laura's popularity led to other soap producers striving to reproduce this success by attempting to create supercouples of their own. With increasingly bizarre action storylines coming into vogue, Luke and Laura saved
30855-531: Was already intended to be killed in a murder storyline after only three months on the series. Culliton and ABC executives were surprised when viewers became attached to the romance between Bianca and Frankie, developed by Culliton with Frankie's debut. These fans attributed Frankie's death to the show's fear to focus on a lesbian romance. Eventually, Culliton introduced the idea to bring back popular actress Elizabeth Hendrickson , who had portrayed Frankie, as Frankie's twin sister Maggie. Culliton continued to write for
31042-407: Was announced as a replacement for Brown and Esensten amid record low ratings. On November 6, 2008, All My Children aired a special episode in which veterans share their stories unscripted. On November 12, 2008, the show celebrated its 10,000th show with a special appearance by Nixon and a special tribute to Myrtle Fargate (as portrayed by Eileen Herlie who had recently died). On December 19, 2008,
31229-402: Was announced that NBC would launch a new Saturday morning preschool block programmed by Sprout (originally jointly owned by NBCUniversal, PBS , Sesame Workshop and Apax Partners , with the former acquiring the other's interests later that year). The block, NBC Kids , premiered on July 7, 2012, replacing the "Qubo on NBC" block. On February 24, 2016, it was announced that NBC would launch
31416-408: Was briefly discussed that all ABC shows might do telenovela arcs, but this was rejected. Though U.S. daytime soap operas are not generally rerun by their networks, occasionally they are rebroadcast elsewhere; CBS and ABC have made exceptions to this, airing older episodes (either those aired earlier in the current season or those aired years prior) on major holidays when special event programming
31603-408: Was confirmed that fan favorite Eden Riegel would be reprising her Emmy winning role as Bianca. She was a part of a controversial storyline centered on transgender character Zarf/Zoe . The most notable return was Cady McClain 's return as show heroine Dixie Cooney Martin . The news of her return spread just two weeks before she reappeared on the series. In an unpopular and controversial move by
31790-473: Was created by Broderick. Apart from the anorexia story, McTavish's tales were plot-driven and made implausible alterations to the show's history such as the resurrection of Erica's lifetime love, Mike Roy (Nicholas Surovy). In 1998, the show again got a new executive producer, Jean Dadario Burke , taking over from Francesca James . Cady McClain , who had left the show as Dixie in 1996, returned, but other storylines—involving ghosts, poison tattoos, Nazi art, and
31977-433: Was fired as head writer, reportedly due to viewer criticism about her storylines. On May 21, 2007, James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten were announced as the new head writers of All My Children . The duo wrote for Guiding Light , Days of Our Lives , One Life to Live , Dynasty and Port Charles , and created and wrote for The City . On December 12, 2007, ABC revealed Rebecca Budig would be returning to
32164-478: Was fired as head writer. Daytime Emmy-winning former head writer Lorraine Broderick was brought back to lead the writing team on an interim basis. Reportedly, Broderick returned at the request of show creator Agnes Nixon, but was not interested in remaining permanently as the team's top scribe. Soap opera According to some dictionaries, for something to be adequately described as a "soap opera", it doesn't need to be long-running. , but some authors define
32351-411: Was frequently a key player in their storylines. Days of Our Lives initially focused on Dr. Tom Horton and his steadfast wife Alice. The show later branched out to focus more on their five children. The Edge of Night featured as its central character Mike Karr, a police detective (later an attorney), and largely dealt with organized crime. The Young and the Restless first focused on two families,
32538-523: Was going to look significantly different when she returned to the show. Nixon approved and worked the facelift into a storyline. Margo wanted to impress the somewhat younger Paul Martin ( William Mooney ). Margo's facelift in 1974 became one of the first major storylines on television discussing plastic surgery and its psychological effects. In June 1976, character Brooke English showed up on her Aunt Phoebe's doorstep and soon clashed with Erica over Tom Cudahy and Mark Dalton. In 1976, when Kitty Shea Tyler
32725-675: Was hosted for most of its run by Ahmad Rashad , was also a part of the TNBC lineup during the NBA season until 2002 (when the program moved to ABC as a result of that network taking the NBA rights from NBC). In 2002, NBC entered into an agreement with Discovery Communications to carry educational children's programs from the Discovery Kids cable channel. Debuting that September, the Discovery Kids on NBC block originally consisted exclusively of live-action series, including reality series Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls (a kid-themed version of
32912-406: Was impossible. Though all serials have long switched to being taped, extensive post-production work and multiple takes, while possible, are not feasible due to the tight taping schedules and low budgets. The first daytime TV soap opera in the United States was These Are My Children in 1949, though earlier melodramas had aired in the evenings as once-a-week programs. Soap operas quickly became
33099-526: Was misled when Behr approached her to bring back her character Nina; Miller was frustrated to find out she had only been brought back for two weeks to facilitate Bergman's departure: Cliff and Nina reunited, married yet again, and left Pine Valley, leaving Miller to lament to Soap Opera Digest that she felt it was going backward for both characters, and difficult emotionally to play), and Bergman himself. Behr then brought back fan favorite Opal Gardner, but instead of contacting Emmy winner Dorothy Lyman to reprise
33286-476: Was not until the 1980s that it was finally revealed that Pine Valley is actually in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and also near One Life to Live ' s Llanview . (Nixon reportedly modeled the town on Rosemont, an actual suburb of Philadelphia.) The show's first action takes place around several families and characters. Phoebe Tyler ( Ruth Warrick ), who fashions herself as "Queen of Pine Valley",
33473-679: Was one of the era's first breakthrough television shows. From the mid-1960s until 1992, the bulk of NBC's children's programming was composed of mainly animated programming including classic Looney Tunes and Woody Woodpecker shorts; reruns of prime time animated sitcoms such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons ; foreign acquisitions like Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion ; animated adaptions of Punky Brewster , ALF and Star Trek as well as animated vehicles for Gary Coleman and Mr. T ; live-action programs like The Banana Splits , The Bugaloos and H.R. Pufnstuf ; and
33660-497: Was originally slated to return for a brief stint) were eventually brought back. On July 26, 2006, Tanika Ray , Rihanna , as well as other celebrities, appeared on the show. During the Rihanna appearance, a controversial storyline involving Erica's thought-to-be-aborted son having come to Pine Valley under the name Josh Madden intensifies when Josh learns of how he truly came to exist. In August 2006, after months of speculation, it
33847-645: Was possessed by the devil, and in 1998, Guiding Light featured a cloning storyline involving legacy character Reva Shayne . Modern U.S. daytime soap operas largely stay true to the original soap opera format. The duration and format of storylines and the visual grammar employed by U.S. daytime serials set them apart from soap operas in other countries and from evening soap operas. Stylistically, UK and Australian soap operas, which are usually produced for early evening timeslots, fall somewhere in between U.S. daytime and evening soap operas. Similar to U.S. daytime soap operas, UK and Australian serials are shot on videotape, and
34034-563: Was revealed as Erica's long-lost daughter. Kendall was conceived after Erica was raped on her 14th birthday by her father's actor friend Richard Fields. After she became pregnant, Erica gave her baby up for adoption. Kendall comes to Pine Valley after finding out her birth mother is the famous Erica Kane. Kendall longs for Erica's approval but is also angry over her perceived feelings of being 'abandoned' at birth and seeks revenge against her mother. Although they try to make their family work at first, Kendall acts out and mother and daughter experience
34221-456: Was safe in the hands of the new producer. Behr, however, made the unpopular decision to fire Peter Bergman (Cliff Warner) during this time, as well as Ellen Wheeler (Karen) and Robert Gentry (Ross Chandler). Bergman's departure was particularly frustrating to Debbi Morgan (who thought it was a cop-out by ABC on the promising interracial Angie/Cliff pairing; Morgan later defected to the new NBC soap opera Generations in protest), Taylor Miller (who
34408-712: Was searching for her natural mother, the show introduced Myrtle Lum Fargate ( Eileen Herlie ). By the late 1970s, the show had risen to the top of the ratings. One reason for the rise was the arrival of teenage prostitute Donna Beck (Candice Earley). Her relationship with the handsome Dr. Chuck Tyler breathed life into the show and captivated fans. Other new additions are the arrivals of aristocratic Palmer Cortlandt (aka Peter Cooney) ( James Mitchell ), his somewhat creepy housekeeper Myra Murdock ( Elizabeth Lawrence ), and his overprotected daughter Nina ( Taylor Miller ), who, to Palmer's chagrin, entrances Dr. Cliff Warner ( Peter Bergman ). Palmer does everything in his power to break up
34595-400: Was the paradigm of a rich snob when she is introduced. A divorced mother, Mona Kane ( Frances Heflin ), and her spoiled daughter, Erica ( Susan Lucci ) were also introduced. Contrasting this was the stable Martin family , headed by patriarch Joe and later (after the death of her husband, Ted Brent) by matriarch Ruth, who became a symbolic foundation of All My Children . Destined to break up
34782-525: Was the short-lived Caesars Challenge , which ended in January 1994. Notable past daytime talk shows that have aired on NBC have included Home (1954–1957), The Ernie Kovacs Show (1955–1956), The Merv Griffin Show (1962–1963), Leeza (1994–1999) and Later Today (1999–2000). Children's programming has played a part in NBC's programming since its initial roots in television. NBC's first major children's series, Howdy Doody , debuted in 1947 and
34969-503: Was unable to make room for the show in its lineup, Nixon put All My Children on hold. Nixon became head writer for Another World in 1965, and decided to use a few ideas from her All My Children bible. In particular, she used the model of the Erica Kane character to create a brand new Another World character named Rachel Davis . Nixon said Rachel was Erica's "precursor to the public ... [What] Erica and Rachel have in common
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